Hunted
by Savari
Summary: Dracula comes across a strangely familiar face after over two hundred years of wandering the world alone. How does he know this young vampire, and why does he feel compelled to protect her?
1. Hunger

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing! Nothing at all! Except for Rhia, Damon and Ronan.

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**Hunger:**

Rhia slowly advanced on Damon, her rich, dark eyes fixed on his neck. "Damon..." she purred seductively, pressing herself against him in a most suggestive manner. Damon backed away, terrified as her eyes turned ice blue, and her canine teeth elongated to become lethal-looking fangs. _Oh God! Oh God! _His mind yelled at him, but all he could get out was "R-Rhia?"

Rhia trailed her fingers across his neck lightly, until she found his pulse. She leaned in and Damon squeezed his eyes shut, preparing to feel her fangs sinking into his flesh. Instead there was an enraged snarl and he felt Rhia's cool presence lifted away. Daring to open his eyes, Damon spied Rhia advancing menacingly on a tall, dark haired man who confidently turned from her, yanked open the fridge and grabbed one of the plastic blood-bags that had recently invaded it, tossing it to the murderous vampiress. Rhia caught it and with a last, furious, look at the man pierced one corner with a fang and began to drink from it.

Damon sighed and slumped against the wall, running one hand through his messily arranged hair.

"That's the second time this week, Ronan." Damon said to the other man, who had shut the fridge and now leaned against it, his arms crossed and brow furrowed, deep in thought.

"Yeah, I know." Ronan shook his ahead, and looked up at Rhia with concern. She had finished her meal and was looking much calmer, though her eyes were filled with a heartbreaking mixture of confusion, fear and pain.

"Rhi, I know we've asked you this before, but... What's going on with you lately?" Ronan asked hesitantly, fearing that she hadn't fully recovered yet.

"I don't know; I've just been really hungry. That's all, really." She looked at Damon, her eyes pleading for his forgiveness, and perhaps, some reassurance that he didn't hate her for what she'd become.

"Yeah, but before, you could control your hunger and you weren't actively hunting for living, breathing meals. It's just in the last couple of weeks you can't seem to do that. There has to be some reason." Damon looked away from her. She had been his best friend for years, but now he feared he didn't know her at all. There were times she seemed perfectly normal, and others she was completely different, like she wasn't herself, as though something else had taken control of her body and mind. She was still Rhia, but like some twisted parody of her true self.

"Well, we'll try something else; try to find out why I'm different now." Rhia was becoming desperate. Damon still wasn't looking at her. She clutched the empty blood-bag in one pale hand, watching Damon intently.

Ronan stood forgotten in the corner, and was perfectly happy to stay that way. This was between two best friends and it wasn't his place to interfere.

Damon looked back at Rhia for a moment and sighed. He nodded and quickly turned away again.

Rhia sucked in a sharp breath of air at Damon's look. It wasn't filled with hate or anger as she had thought it might be, rather it was leaden with disappointment. She realized just how much his humanity meant to him. He couldn't understand her now; they weren't even the same species anymore. Rhia shook herself mentally and banished that thought from her head. She wasn't a monster. She wasn't, was she?

"I have to go." Damon nodded to Ronan, gathered up his jacket and fled the scene, the door slamming rather jarringly behind him. Rhia shivered and blinked back hot tears. Ronan gently pried the empty plastic blood-bag from her hand and tossed it into the bin.

"C'mon, Rhi, how about you get some sleep?" Ronan firmly took her by the arm and led her towards the stairs. Rhia numbly followed him, chilled to the bone by Damon's reaction. She bowed her head, letting her loose mahogany curls cover her face. And her tears.

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**A/N: **Eek, that was kind of- ahem- heavy. Oh well, this didn't turn out quite as I expected it to, but I think it's okay. I'm not entirely sure where this is going to be honest, but there is a reason it is a Van Helsing fic, trust me. Aside from the fact that Rhia's a Van Helsing vampire. Anyway. Please review if you liked it and tell me why, and if you didn't like it, please review and tell me why, lol!

Be kind... This is my first Van Helsing fic. Actually it's my first fic _ever_. On the other hand, be brutally honest if you like!

Also, just in case you were wondering, this is set in 2004. And just for my own purposes Dracula was never killed by Van Helsing. Just thought you should know. Not that it in any way relates to this story... so far.


	2. Goodnight

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still don't own Van Helsing or Dracula. Damn. However if you attempt to steal Rhia, Damon or Ronan I will be forced to kill, er, sue you. Yes... that's right.

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**Goodnight:**

On the roof of number 14 Asido Drive perched a dark figure. It appeared to be man-shaped and held itself perfectly still, invisible to all except the hunters of the night. Even to them though, he would appear to be a statue, carved by the hand of a master with darkly beautiful features, long shadowy hair held neatly back by a silver clip, and two gold hoop earrings. He picked up the voices inside the house with unnaturally keen hearing, and what he heard displeased him. He forced back a low growl as he heard his dear Rhia having to explain herself to these _humans_. It infuriated him, the tone the one named Damon took with her. Her voice shook a little and he could hear the fear in it. She feared these mortals? Why? Not just fear, though; pain. It struck a brief moment of empathy into the hollow vampire to hear Rhia's fear and feel a second of her pain through the sire link he shared with her. It faded quickly, leaving him distantly disappointed that the emotion had left.

More voices. The insolent one was leaving. The door slammed and Damon walked along the path from Rhia's front door, his shoulders hunched and head bent as though he was hiding his face. The figure watched Rhia's 'friend' with a venomous gaze, itching to sink his fangs into that one, to end his pitiful existence, an existence that evidently caused Rhia pain.

These murderous thoughts were interrupted by the other male's voice. He was leading Rhia upstairs. The figure swung himself easily down from the roof and stood horizontally on the wall of the house to gain a better view into Rhia's room. The other male led Rhia to her bed. She collapsed onto it and rolled over, facing the window through which the figure peered. Her face was tear-streaked, and strands of her long mahogany hair clung to it. The other male said something: "Goodnight." and then left her room, closing the door behind him.

The figure continued to watch Rhia for much of the night, though she simply lay still, staring with her expressive, dark eyes at the wallpaper.

As dawn approached the figure began to worry; Rhia seemed to be in some sort of a waking coma, and he doubted that she would get up to close the curtains before the sun fully rose.

Surprisingly, however, Rhia slowly unfolded herself and stood, walking over to pull the curtains closed. She hesitated at the window, and a small smile played over her lips, her eyes lit for a moment with genuine happiness, before she pulled the material closed and returned to her bed, confused.

The figure, satisfied that Rhia would be safe during the day, morphed into his demonic form, launching himself into the cold night air, and winging his way towards Wintervale Cemetery, where he spent his days. _Oh how the mighty have fallen_.

Rhia lay still, distantly hearing Ronan say "Goodnight." and close the door. She had retreated, as she often did these days, into herself, where her thoughts were dark and painful, though she vaguely felt deserving of this.

The way Damon looked at her. It hurt to think he could ever doubt her like that. Still, she supposed, it seemed fitting. She was a monster. Maybe.

At first Rhia's vampirism had scared her, and she had been terrified of hurting anyone. Soon, though, she had realized that she could control herself, she didn't need to hurt anyone, and didn't want to. So, surely that meant she wasn't a monster.

Yet over the last few weeks Rhia had found herself sinking into a darkness she had never intended to encounter. Large parts of days and nights went missing from her memory. She would wake in strange places and find herself completely lost, having to rely entirely on her newly enhanced senses to lead her home.

Sometimes she would sense something, or someone watching her, a presence that was oddly comforting. She would dismiss this as a part of her obvious encroaching insanity, but still... It felt real, something familiar and dear to her, though she couldn't place it.

She felt that now, and though she was still closeted deeply within herself, an urgency struck her, as though from some outside influence, and she uncurled her stiff limbs and walked over the window.

For a moment Rhia thought she saw someone. A profoundly familiar face that flooded her with inexplicable relief; she was safe as long as he was here. She blinked, and he was gone. Disappointed and confused she pulled the curtains closed before returning to her bed, slightly less disheartened.

She would talk to Damon the following night, sort things out with him. She hoped.

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**A/N: **Lol, two chapters in one night... ugh. This one felt rushed, so I may redo it in the next few days (as you can tell I have _way _to much time on my hands).

Anyway, as always review if you liked, review if you didn't and tell me why either way. Or if you like you can just put 'More please' or 'This sucks'. Meh.

Goodnight.


	3. Selfless

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything much. Just Rhia, Damon, Ronan, Wintervale and a nice little house at 14 Asido Drive, okay?

**Reviwer-reply-thingy: **

Luthien Anwamane: I'm glad you enjoyed my humble little chapters, and see, I didn't make you wait long at all!

Angel-of-Darkness25: Thankyou for your appreciation. I hope you like this chapter as much as you did the last two.

And for you, my two reviewers: Another chapter!

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**Selfless:**

To Rhia the sun seemed to take an age to set. She paced around the basement restlessly. She had been down here for most of the day, ever since Ronan left for work, and she could feel that sunset was nearing, and waiting to be freed from this concrete prison was beginning to really wear on her already overwrought nerves. The only source of light was a faint line beneath the door to the rest of the house. She had avoided looking at that door for most of the day, but now found her gaze irresistibly drawn to it. It was the only way out of this dank, unpleasant place in which she was forced to spend her days, and she longed to bound up the stairs and yank it open, to feel fresher air on her skin. It was strange, Rhia mused; even though she had no need to breathe, the basement still managed to assault her over-sensitive nose with the stink of decay and, for some reason, wood that had not been dry for years.

This place was truly like a prison for a free spirit like Rhia, and the temptation to wrench the door from its hinges in a furious rage was becoming increasingly difficult to quell. With a shuddering sigh, Rhia collapsed onto the ancient lounge chair that had recently relocated to the basement, vaguely noting that if she was going to be spending half her eternal life down here, she would need some more furniture.

Minutes passed like hours, time dragging by so slowly it seemed almost to stop completely.

Finally Rhia could feel that the sun had set, and the tension that had invaded her body for most of the day suddenly drained away. A phone rang somewhere in the house, evoking the almost instinctual reaction to race over and answer its insistent call. It soon stopped ringing. She glanced up at the locked door impatiently, wishing Ronan would hurry up and let her out.

Time went by even slower than before, now that Rhia knew the sun had set.

By eight o'clock she was in a truly foul mood and was about to break the door down when it opened.

"God, Ronan, what took you so damn long?" Rhia growled, breezing up the stairs and heading for the kitchen with only one thing on her mind; dinner. She heard the basement door close and slow footsteps follow her into the kitchen, just as she was opening the fridge door.

"Rhia, Ronan's not here." A familiar voice said in an unnaturally soft tone. Rhia whirled around to find Damon standing at the counter with a strange expression on his drawn, pale face.

"Where is he, then?" Rhia asked, dinner chased from her mind by the pained look Damon wore.

"He's in the hospital, Rhi. He had a car accident on his way home from work." Damon answered slowly, dragging his sad blue eyes up to meet Rhia's.

"Oh my god." Rhia whispered in disbelief, shaking her head.

"The hospital tried to call you, but... Well, you know; basement." Damon muttered uncomfortably, forcing his eyes away from Rhia's.

"Can-can I see him? Is it bad?" Rhia grabbed Damon's arm and forcefully turned him to look at her.

"I'm not sure how bad it is, but we should get going." He looked at his watch distractedly.

"O-okay." Rhia said softly, "Let's go."

Damon seemed to drive agonizingly slowly to Rhia, who sat silently in the passenger's seat, looking uninterestedly out at the world and thinking that she could be at the hospital this very moment if she flew. All her inhibitions about being branded a monster seemed to fall away when she was faced with the injury of her dear friend, after all, he had accepted what she was, taken her into his home without a second thought and selflessly given her everything she needed, though it cost him dearly in both financial and personal areas. Hot tears burned Rhia's eyes as she remembered all of his sacrifices, from simple things like giving up a room in his house for her and forgoing a social life, to bigger things, like placing enough trust in her to let her drink from him in her first few days of vampirism, which were now a painful blur to her.

Rhia blinked back the tears, forbidding herself to cry yet. Damon looked to be near breaking point, and Rhia was certain that her tears would only serve to further push him away. Swallowing hard and silently reprimanding herself, Rhia let out a faint sigh and forced herself to be still. She would have to be patient, though this day had truly worn on her and she feared that Damon was not the only one of the verge of snapping.

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**A/N: **Meh. Not much to say, really, except I'm still surprised about where this is going- I swear the creative side of my brain doesn't inform the rest of what its planning!


	4. Recognition

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Van Helsing, Dracula... Blah, blah, blah... Rhia, Damon, Ronan and Wintervale all are mine, so keep your hands off 'em! Heh, now read.

**Luthien Anwamane:** Sorry, you're just gonna have to keep guessing for a little while, lol.

**Angel-of-Darkness25:** This one is a bit longer than the last, and I'm going to try to make the next chapters longer... Heh, it's just not something I'm good at yet.

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Brilliant light assaulted Rhia's eyes as she and Damon stepped through the sliding doors into the hospital. It was unnatural light, far too bright for her eyes, finely tuned as they were for night hunting. She blinked painfully, holding up one shaking hand to shield herself from the harsh illumination. 

Her eyes slowly adjusted and she looked around. They were in a reception area that was sparsely decorated with potted plants, in a feeble attempt to drain some of the gravity from the area. Hard plastic chairs lined the pale yellow walls, their occupants looking up with glum expressions as the pair entered. They quickly returned their attention to the old magazines that piled on the low tables dotted about the place.

"Rhia, come on." Damon murmured, guiding her away through another set of doors.

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Rhia numbly followed Damon through the labyrinthine corridors, desperately trying to shake herself free from the despair that gripped her heart like a cold fist. At some point they stopped and Rhia distantly noted that Damon was talking to a white-coated person. Probably a doctor. Maybe Ronan's doctor.

What was that smell? Rhia glanced around curiously, looking for the source of that delicious scent, the name of which lingered tantalizingly just out of her grasp. She noticed, not for the first time that she was shaking. She looked back to Damon, her gaze drawn irresistibly to his neck. She heard his heart beating, could practically feel the blood rushing through his veins. Her vision seemed to narrow until all she could see was that fine vein in his neck that would stop her shaking, would solve all her problems. He turned toward her, his expression of relief turning to alarm as he saw her eyes and the ravenous way they locked onto his neck. "Rhia, Ronan's going to be okay. Rhia? Are _you_ okay?" Through the fog that clouded her mind, Rhia recognized those words. _Ronan's going to be okay. He'll be okay. _And then: _I can let go now. Ronan's okay..._

In a rush the world returned to her. The bright lights, the bustling nurses, that smell.

"I have to go." Rhia said, more loudly than was necessary. She spun around and sprinted away through the maze of halls, for the first time deliberately extending her senses to the fullest they would go. The demon was there, just beneath the surface, fighting for its freedom. She couldn't keep it at bay for much longer. She had to get away from this place. She had to get away from Damon and all the innocent people here. Rhia dashed through the reception area, the sliding doors barely opening in time for her to squeeze through them. The world tilted unnaturally as Rhia seemed to explode into her demonic form, her silvery wings unfolding, her form changing rapidly into the magnificent creature that dwelled always just below her human mind, dying to escape its prison.

Rhia reveled in her strength and the power that coursed so freely through her. She soared over the parking lot of the hospital, her predatory senses, now enhanced a hundredfold, seeking out suitable prey.

The humans pointed at Rhia and shouted, showering her with a mixture of fear and curiosity that made her laugh with glee. Tossing her long mahogany curls back, she dove, wings folded along her back, arms and claws extended forward. She effortlessly lifted her chosen victim, a young male of around twenty, into the air and sank her fangs into his neck, eagerly swallowing the warm liquid that rushed into her mouth. She drained him in moments, tossing his corpse carelessly aside. Her hunger sated, Rhia swept her wings in an arc and turned, gliding away over the trees of Wintervale Park.

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Deep within the shadows of Wintervale Park Vladislaus Dragulia paced aimlessly, his hands folded behind his back, eyes trained on the pine-needle covered ground. The ceaseless onslaught of Rhia's overwhelming fear and anguish over her friend's injury had battered his mind constantly for the past hour, at some of the worst points nearly driving all sanity clean from his head. Being devoid of most all emotions for so many centuries had left him unprepared to deal with such potent pain, and as such, incredibly vulnerable to its destructive inclinations.

Then it had suddenly dissipated, Rhia's terrifyingly compelling emotions vanishing without even the faintest trace that they had ever existed to torment her, and Dracula, so.

For several minutes the vampire had simply stood and silently wondered at the ability of the human race to feel things so clearly and yet be so damn ignorant.

Then he began to wonder what had happened to so swiftly sever his connection to Rhia. He could still feel her presence somewhere in Wintervale, so he didn't fear that she had somehow been killed, but something rather dramatic must have happened to cut him off from her so abruptly.

He finally came to the conclusion that the only way he would find out what had happened was to find Rhia and see for himself. The distant sound of a twig snapping sent the vampire into action, like the gun at the start of a race. In one fluid movement he transformed and burst through the pine branches, sending a couple of sleeping sparrows squawking from their resting places. With a sweep of his powerful wings Dracula set off in the direction of the hospital, the last place he had sensed some human feeling from Rhia. He came to an abrupt halt, though, as he spied a lone figure in a distant clearing. One he had never expected to see.

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Rhia glided soundlessly over Wintervale Park, scanning the sky for some sign of her master, with no luck. He seemed to have disappeared, though she felt certain he had been here recently. Disappointed, Rhia lowered herself to the ground, careful not to return to her human form for fear of the turmoil and pain that surely awaited her. The park's lake was still, it's surface reflecting the night sky in all its glittering, starry glory, like a flawless mirror. Curious, Rhia moved to the lake's shore and peered into the water hopefully. All that looked back at her were stars, cold points of light burning millions of miles away. Disconcerted, Rhia leaned out further, to be rewarded with yet more stars. Now distantly disturbed, she leaned down and trailed her fingers through the icy water, watching the ripples that spread out over the once-perfect surface. Satisfied that she was entirely real, not a figment at all, Rhia left the lake, her mind returning to the predicament that she was yet faced with. Where was he, where was her master? Rhia sighed, vaguely noting that her breath did not mist in the cold air like it should. And the air was cold tonight, unusually so. Feeling the need to make a dent in the unbroken silence that heavily settled over the night, Rhia picked up a twig and snapped it in half, inexplicably relieved at the sharp sound it made. At almost that precise moment Rhia heard a disturbance in the distance, birds squawking and branches swaying. Curiously, she turned, to find a familiar figure hovering in the air above the trees in the distance. In her shock, Rhia returned to her human form and was immediately overcome by the emotions that awaited her there. Anxiety and relief were the two most predominant now, as she remembered hearing Damon tell her that Ronan would be okay. Her attention was quickly pulled away from her relief, however, as strange memories returned to her in broken fragments, awakened by the creature in the distance. Rhia fell to her knees, overwhelmed by the things she recalled, the places and people she knew and had lost.

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Dracula felt as though he was frozen, moments passing like years as he stared at Rhia, suspended in shock and recognition. He had followed her and watched her for nigh on a year now, and never realized who she was, never recognized her until he had seen her vampire form, which she had always adamantly refused to acknowledge. He understood now why he had been so obsessed with her, so dedicated to keeping her safe and making her life as easy as possible. Rhia was the love of his past life, a life he strove to forget, one steeped in great emotional pain he was determined he could not feel. In the distance Rhia raised an elegant hand to head and collapsed to the ground with a faint whimper.

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**A/N: **Heh this chapter's four days late, sorry! Anyway, it's a little longer than the last two, so I hope that makes up for it a little. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope this unnatural enthusiasm keeps up, lol! 


	5. Past

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Van Helsing. Only Rhia, Rhianna, Damon, Ronan and Wintervale. Not that most of these are even in this chapter, lol.

**A/N: **Just thought you should know that Rhianna was Rhia's name in the past. Now read and enjoy... Hopefully.

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Rhianna scrambled desperately across the hard stones of the Northern Tower, forcing her exhausted body to keep moving, though all she really wanted was to curl up into a little ball and float away into dreamless sleep, to let her aching body and troubled mind rest. Unfortunately she didn't have that luxury, pursued as she was by the enraged little creatures whose grating voices were raised in bloodthirsty howls as they swarmed toward her. Rhianna glanced back, and saw that the twisted little ghouls had gained on her and were now just metres away. With a gasping sob, she pushed onwards, stumbling towards the edge of the Tower. To her escape. Just a little further… and then a murderous shriek split the air, silencing the insane chattering of the Dwergi. Rhianna closed her eyes with a fervent wish that she could simply melt into the cold black stones. With chilling clarity she knew… _He_ was here. Turning slowly, dreading what she would see, Rhianna forced her unwilling eyes open. He stood only feet away, watching her with unreadable black eyes. The Dwergi had fled, fearful of their master's wrath. Ordinarily Dracula's gaze unnerved Rhianna, made her tense and nervous, feeling almost naked under that piercing stare, but now the girl was too tired to care. She had failed. Her freedom would once again be denied her, and she would be forced back into that hell-hole of a room she had stayed in for the past few weeks. 

The room wasn't horrible by any means, but if you had spent that many hours alone in there with absolutely nothing to do but ponder your inevitable death it could easily be considered the most horrible room in existence.

Rhianna collapsed, the last of her strength, both physical and mental, vanishing. With a soft, miserable sob she began to cry, not caring if he saw her so weak, so vulnerable. There was no reason to maintain her pride now. She would die within moments, of that she was certain. She didn't even flinch at the hand that was laid lightly on her back, so engrossed was she in her misery, nor did she register the comforting arms that wrapped around her, nor the warm voice that slowly lulled her into the first restful sleep she had gained in weeks.

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Rhianna woke slowly from her deep slumber, blinking sleepily in the warm afternoon light that spilled across her lavishly decorated chambers. She tried to remember what had happened earlier, vaguely recalling shrieking Dwergi, brandishing their miniature spears, a harsh scream of rage and someone with a deliciously warm voice comforting her as she cried, waiting to be killed by Dracula.

The details suddenly snapped into place and Rhianna bolted upright, her hand flying to her neck to feel for puncture marks. There were none, which surprised her greatly. As did the fact that she was still breathing, and felt the usual discomfort and need for oxygen when she forced herself to stop. Taking deep breaths she tried to calm herself, thinking back to the night before, but everything during and after her breakdown was a miserable blur… that slowly turned into a pleasant, floating blur consisting of a wonderful voice and protective arms.

Rhianna groaned. Who was that - the one who had comforted her? The logical part of her mind knew it could be only one person, but the rest of her insisted it couldn't be, and was firmly in denial. 'The rest' was winning.

Shaking herself, Rhianna slipped out of bed and wandered over to her wardrobe – she had begun to think of the things in this room as her own, determined to gain some semblance of control over something in her troubling new life. With a sigh she opened the highly polished mahogany doors and reached inside for one of the three plain outfits she had been allowed… and was shocked to feel her hand brushing the softest material she had ever felt. Confused, she yanked the doors open further, allowing the light to illuminate exactly what was in her cupboard. For a moment Rhianna was completely still, staring into the wardrobe with a look of utter shock on her face. Which was quickly followed by a delighted shriek as the girl pulled garment after garment of new clothing out and threw them haphazardly across her bed for examination.

They were beautiful, all different colours and styles, made from the finest quality materials Rhianna had ever laid eyes on. They were adorned by threaded pearls and jewels that glittered like thousands of miniature stars in the warm golden light of late afternoon. Rhianna was dying to try some of the exquisite dresses on, but she wasn't entirely certain that they were meant for her; after all, for the past weeks she had been given only the cheapest of clothes, made of rough materials that were incredibly uncomfortable. So why would the Count suddenly give her these, the most magnificent garments Rhianna had ever seen?

A surge of rebellious anger overcame Rhianna like a tidal wave. What did she care if the vampire meant these clothes for her; they were in _her _room after all, and it was his fault for not giving his hideous little monsters clear enough instructions for their feeble, violent minds to understand!

Carefully Rhianna put away all of the clothes, except for one beautiful dark green dress. With meticulous care, Rhianna drew the dress on over her head, smoothing out the tiny wrinkles that had appeared. It fit perfectly, clinging to her sleek figure in a most flattering way. It wasn't ostentatious, with overdone ruffles and ribbons, but made up of clean lines, accented with small white diamonds. The dress brought an irresistible smile to Rhianna's face, and she wished she could see what it looked like on her; but, unfortunately, there were no mirrors here.

With a little sigh, she sat down. It was usual for her to be bored out of her mind here; there was nothing to do but sit and think, and wait for the Dwergi to bring her next meal. But it still aggravated her. Especially now that she had things to think about, that she _really _didn't want to think about.

She skirted about these thoughts by focusing on other things, like- why did Dracula suddenly give her these exquisite clothes when she had nowhere to wear them? It wasn't like the Dwergi cared how she looked, and no one else visited her.

She was just contemplating possibly venturing into the murky waters of the night before when a knock at her door drew her out of her musings. She frowned; no the Dwergi _never _knocked. They just barged in, chattering insanely and did whatever they pleased. Foul little things.

Rhianna rose from her seat and eyed the door apprehensively. Taking a deep breath and willing her voice not to shake, she called "Come in!"

The door opened with a faint creak, and Rhianna had to force herself not to cringe as the Count swept into her room. He seemed surprised to find her dressed in one of the new garments, but not angry. In fact he was smiling.

He didn't look half as imposing when he smiled, Rhianna thought distantly.

"I see you found your new clothing. I had intended for you to receive it earlier in your stay, however it seems it slipped the Dwergi's minds." His eyes darkened for a moment, and Rhianna cringed involuntarily. Upon seeing this Dracula's expression softened, and he gave her a reassuring smile. Rhianna returned it for a moment before remembering herself and schooling her face into a cold glare.

"Did you find your new jewelry?" The Count motioned to a beautifully carved wooden box sitting on her dresser.

Rhianna's eyes widened in surprise, her carefully constructed hostility forgotten for the moment as she moved towards the dresser. Why hadn't she noticed that before? She wondered as she lifted the lid and peered inside. Though the evening had gotten fairly dark – the Dwergi had yet to come in and light the candles set around the room – she could still see many faintly glimmering jewels piled neatly in the velvet lined interior.

"They're beautiful," She gasped, lifting a delicate silver necklace, set with diamonds and emeralds, from the box.

She turned to Dracula with an almost rapturous smile. He took the necklace gently from her hands and clasped it around her neck.

"Lovely," He whispered next to her ear, his cool breath stirring strands of silken midnight hair. Before she could protest about him being so close, he had stepped away, and was offering her his arm.

"Would you like to go for a walk, Rhianna? I know you must be dying to get out of your rooms."

With a mistrustful look, Rhianna took his arm, excited despite herself, to be leaving her rooms.

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**A/N2: **Once again I'm not sure if I'm really happy with this, but, here it is. Hopefully you readers out there (hellooo... anybody there?) liked it. The next chapter shouldn't take anywhere near as long as this one did, heh, I probably said that about the last one, too... Oh well. I will try my best to update _much_ more frequently. 

Thankyou for the review for the last chapter Luthien Anwamane and Angel-of-Darkness25! If it wasn't for you two, I wouldn't have even gotten this far with Hunted!


	6. Black Roses and Icy Eyes

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Van Helsing, yada, yad, yada...

**A/N: **This is in the past, by the way, a couple of weeks/months after Van Helsing killed Dracula the first (human) time round. Some of this will probably be a little confusing, because it really hasn't been explained yet, but it will in future chapters. And YAY! dances around like an idiot I actually have a plan for the next couple of chapters, so they shouldn't take very long either! Ah, the happiness...

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Despite being summer, the nights at Dracula's Castle were very cold – not surprising, really, considering its icy location. Rhianna supposed Dracula didn't feel it any more, but she certainly did. She shivered as a chill wind washed over her, stirring her long hair like a dark veil, and wished fervently that she had thought to bring along a cloak to keep herself warm, but as they had left her rooms, Rhianna had been rather distracted. The memory of the Count's intoxicating closeness made her shiver once again- though for an entirely different reason this time.

Presently, they wandered around the grounds of the fortress, and Rhianna had to admit that there was something darkly beautiful about the Count's untamed gardens. Wild rose bushes were scattered about in a haphazard manner, thorny branches tangled and snarled around each other, with the occasional black rose somehow managing to reach the surface. These blooms chilled Rhianna's blood, so unnatural they looked. Certainly they were beautiful, somehow more so though any flower she had ever seen, but everything about them seemed to exude a wrongness that made her shy away from them.

Rhianna eyed the Count warily, acutely aware of the silence that stretched between them. He had hardly said a word since they left her rooms, seemingly content to walk in silence through the barren grounds. She looked away from him, reluctant to attract his attention. Instead she turned to her surroundings once more, relieved to find that none of the unearthly black rose bushes grew in this area. Or not that she could see, for just ahead, the monstrous fortress' shadow fell like an impenetrable force, obscuring from view anything that dared to venture into its murky depths. Rhianna thought wryly that perhaps the shadow reflected the evil which resided within the castle. Surprisingly, Rhianna did not associate the Count with that evil. When she thought of dark things in the Castle, the Dwergi sprung immediately to mind, chattering and screeching, raising their spears in a murderous rage. When she went over in her mind how she had suffered here, she instantly targeted the Dwergi as those at fault, and had to remind herself that it was Dracula who had abandoned her to their dubious mercy.

Rhianna realized this was a new development; in her first weeks here she had been quick to blame the Count for all her troubles, feeling horribly as though he had deserted her here. She had not seen hide nor hair of him after that terrible, stormy night when he had deposited her in the main hall of his Castle with swift instructions to his monstrous little servants to take her to the room she now called her own, before he took off again. She now wondered once again why he hadn't bothered with her until today. Perhaps, until her unsuccessful escape attempt, he had not even thought of her, had forgotten all about her. She wasn't sure how she felt about his sudden interest; certainly, she appreciated the new clothes and exquisite jewelry, but his attention was something she wasn't entirely sure she wanted. She had the distinct feeling that one wrong step could cause the volatile vampire to leave her, once again, to the Dwergis' ministrations.

She began to surreptitiously study him again, noting the genuine discontent in his usually serene eyes. Though his stride was assured and easy as always, he seemed to be filled with barely controlled, nervous tension. Rhianna bit her lip, wondering what could have the immortal Count so worried. He suddenly seemed to become aware of her attempt at 'subtle' staring and turned to her with an amused little smirk.

"What, exactly, do you find so fascinating about my appearance, Rhianna?" He asked, somewhat snidely.

"Oh! Nothing, really," At his raised eyebrow she added, "I was just wondering what you were thinking about."

The slightly sarcastic demeanor seemed to melt away at this, though he looked to become tenser.

"That is what I would like to talk to you about," He frowned thoughtfully, "You have probably been wondering why I brought you here, and yet have done nothing with you, yes?"

At Rhianna's nod, he continued.

"Well, for one thing I haven't been here since the night I left you in the main hall, and I do apologize for my Dwergis' atrocious behavior toward you," He shook his head, "I did instruct them not to harm you in any way, however that also seemed to slip their minds," He sighed, "As to why I brought you here… I did not want you to become entangled in my little battle with my father," His eyes hardened, "I have no doubt that he would not hesitate to drag you into this mess."

Rhianna's eyes widened, remembering the few times she had met Vladislaus' father. He had seemed a kind man, if a little battle hardened. She couldn't imagine him ever doing her any real harm, and told Dracula so.

"You do not know my father- he may seem a good-hearted old man, but he can be… ruthless… in battle. He would use you against me; put your life in danger simply to prove a point."

Rhianna frowned slightly. It seemed to her that Dracula was simply removing from play a possible weakness that his father could exploit. That led to the thought that he could possibly still care about her, despite his now demonic nature, and her own betrayal of him, which led to Rhianna firmly shoving the offending thought process into a deep corner of her mind and refocusing on the conversation at hand.

There were so many questions Rhianna wished she could ask the Count, but she was terrified of prying too far and having him turn his back on her. Still, she knew she couldn't go back to her rooms without at least trying to get some answers; who knew when she would have another chance?

Taking a deep, steadying breath, she put her carefully phrased question to the Count.

"Dracula… Vladislaus… what happened to," She stopped suddenly, seeing the broken look in the vampire's dark eyes. Tears pricked at her own eyes, her throat closing against the words that had been so carefully prepared. "I'm sorry," She choked out, helpless to stop the tears that spilled down her cheeks.

"I think it is time we returned to the Castle," Dracula's voice was icy now, cutting Rhianna like a knife, and his eyes, previously full of emotion, were empty and cold.

As the Count turned away, Rhianna forgot all her inhibitions, flung aside her thoughts of 'good' and 'evil', grabbing his arm and forcefully turning him back to face her.

"Please, Vladislaus," She cried, desperate to break through the wall that had slammed down behind his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!"

The tears streamed down her face now, but she didn't care; the guilt she had been carrying around ever since Vladislaus' death had surfaced, and it wasn't about to sink back down any time soon.

"Rhianna, now is not the time to talk about this," He hissed, eyes turning icy blue, just like his voice, but Rhianna was oblivious, lost in her guilt.

"I don't know what I was thinking! I was just so worried about you, and he was there… I'm not trying to excuse what I did, but… You have to understand, I never meant to hurt you!" She was trembling, her voice shaking so much she could barely be understood.

Too late, she realized just how far she had pushed him, and before she knew what was happening, he had slammed her against a wall, his fangs descending toward her neck with lightning speed. A burst of brilliant pain shot through her, and Rhianna gasped, too startled to do more than try feebly to push him away.

"Vladislaus!" She shrieked, with a pitiful sob.

Dracula pulled away suddenly, a horrified expression on his pale face.

"Rhianna…" He whispered, backing away, staring at her with haunted eyes.

Rhianna clutched her neck, her eyes wide with fear and pain. She dashed past him, running blindly in any direction that was _away_ from the vampire. She didn't even notice as thorns ripped into her beautiful dress, tearing at her tender flesh like vicious claws, or as the moonlight seemed to fade as she stumbled on roots and low-hanging branches. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Rhianna came to a halt, too exhausted to continue, and sank down against a tree-trunk, resting her head on her knees.

She felt raw, too tired to cry, too weary to keep moving, and completely alone.

She didn't notice the clouds that drifted aside to reveal a full moon, nor the distant howl that echoed into the night.

* * *

**A/N: **Oooh, wolfie! I'm actually pretty happy with this chapter- typical, the darker chapters always seem more satisfying to me, for some odd reason. I dunno, maybe it's because there's so much potential in them for something exciting and dramatic to happen. Eh. 

Hopefully another chap will be up within the next couple of days. 

And thankyou to Angel-of-Darkness25, Luthien Anwamane and Knnyphph. 

These flashback chapters should go on fora while longer; most of the story will unfold in the past, before we get to the present and see exactly what their reactions will be. 


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